Life under the sea – it’s beautiful and mysterious… but what are we doing to it? (Source: Pexel)

Hello everyone! Welcome to my blog! I’m Vera, a freshman studying Environmental Studies at NUS.

I’ll start by sharing a little about myself – I draw occasionally, and enjoy listening to K-Pop! I also love animals, especially horses, and was lucky enough to ride them at fifteen! Fish, however, aren’t my thing. When I was young, I thought they looked alien and creepy, with their unblinking eyes that seemed to stare into your soul. Although, that didn’t stop me from savouring them! Seafood is really yummy, and my family is also a big lover of it. Yet, I’ve never thought about whether they were obtained sustainably, be it the plates of salmon I enjoyed at Genki Sushi, or the prawns I ate during the steamboat at New Year’s dinner.

The fish we eat – it’s delicious and we want more, but are we taking too much from the ocean? (Source: Pexel)

It was only after following several nature-related accounts on Instagram, such as National Geographic and Sea Legacy, and being exposed to the plight of certain species suffering from overfishing, that I became more conscious of the importance of sustainable fishing.

We are eating a great deal of seafood today. The amount of seafood the average person in 2015 ate was more than twice that in the early 1960s (FAO, 2018). Unfortunately, feeding our growing demand for seafood has been detrimental to our waters. Like a virulent disease, all our seas are plagued by overfishing (FAO, 2018).

Despite the prevalence of this issue, I’m sad to say that I don’t know much about it at all. What exactly are the consequences on the marine environment? What are the spill-over effects on human societies? Should I completely cut seafood out of my diet? Do I have to? Will there be a day when chilli crabs become a thing of the past, and we can no longer enjoy the exquisite taste of sushi? These are just some questions swimming around in my head.

So, I’ve chosen the theme of my blog to be on humans and fishing, to learn as much as I can about marine overfishing and share it with all of you! Let’s dive into this blogging journey together and become more informed individuals!

Sea ya!

 

References:

FAO. (2018). The State of World Fisheries and Aquaculture 2018 – Meeting the sustainable development goals. Retrieved from http://www.fao.org/3/I9540EN/i9540en.pdf